Alwa's Awakening

Back when the NES and SNES were mainstay consoles, it was commonplace to get a single game and play through it countless times. It didn’t matter how awful the game was, how incredibly difficult it was, or what kind of game breaking bugs stopped you in your tracks; you just played it. That’s how games worked, and that's how they were played. Alwa’s Awakening harkens back to that era of gaming with its retro look and feel. But sticking so closely to those elements of the past might be the game’s biggest misstep as well.

Zoe is your typical NES-era protagonist; she is asked to save the world and dumped into a strange land where she can walk, jump, and attack. Story is miniscule in Alwa’s Awakening, and other characters you run into give you brief bits of dialogue that are usually more instructive than atmospheric. Much like another classic title with a female protagonist and backtracking, Zoe gains powerups as she continues her journey through Alwa, the mystical land she now inhabits.

You will die a lot in Alwa’s Awakening; that much is a guarantee. In fact, the developers have put a death counter on the continue screen just to let you know how many times you’ve perished. More often than not, my reason for death was the game’s platforming sections. This isn’t to say they’re difficult or unreasonable. In fact, they are very era-specific in their fairness and difficulty. Death brings with it one of the game’s major flaws, its save system.

I understand the desire to stick to the formula and have save rooms like a Metroid game, but their inconsistency can be frustrating when you have to rerun the same seven screens to get to the same problem area, only to die and start from that save screen all over again. The choice to stick to the era’s rigid structure hurts Alwa’s Awakening in that it feels old and uninspired in its design. I am all for games like Shovel Knight or Axiom Verge that take inspiration from games and run with it. But the difference between those games and Alwa’s Awakening is that the aforementioned titles evolve the genre and improve upon it. Alwa’s Awakening just sticks to the past and says “that’s the way it is."

As you progress through the platforming and simplistic combat that involves swinging a staff, you gain powerups. These include the abilities to create blocks and bubbles to get around certain areas of the game as well as a projectile attack. Each of these powers can also be upgraded to give Zoe more abilities and access to new locations. Keeping track of the secrets and places I couldn’t get to yet, only to go back and reach them easily with my new abilities was a nostalgic moment for me. It reminded me of taking notes back when I binged on SNES titles.

One interesting bit worth mentioning is that the upgrades, from what I’ve seen on YouTube, are somewhat optional. Apparently, some players have the skills to pull of complicated jumps and maneuvers in mid-air to reach the secrets without any upgrades. The fact that the option exists is really interesting and gives the game a bit of depth in the sense that there are secrets beyond what is in front of you.

While Alwa’s Awakening nails the graphical look and chiptune sound of 80s platformers, it’s too anchored in the past for its own good. Some would say the platforming is too easy compared to those games, but it makes up for those easy spots with frustrating save rooms and making the player replay through the same few screens to get to the next point. Backtracking comes with the territory and while it’s expected in games like this, that doesn’t make it any less tedious. Overall, Alwa’s Awakening sticks to its inspirations for better or for worse, leading to a game that feels like an homage to the 8-bit era without bringing anything new to the table.

Imprint-X Review

Imprint-X has style and that goes a long way in terms of making the game stand out. Without its look and without its music it really is just a simplistic game about clicking to solve puzzles. Solving the puzzles provides a sense of accomplishment at times but overall there is no greater purpose or reason to solve them other than the game wants you to.

Hollow Knight Review

While the backtracking can be tedious and the exploration can be maddening, Hollow Knight is still worth a look to anyone looking for a great action platformer. Hollow Knight wears its inspirations on its sleeve and reminds the world that sometimes you don’t need to create completely new mechanics, sometimes you just need to make those old mechanics shine again.

Rogue Legacy

Rogue Legacy bridges the gap between the old classics of the SNES days and newer indie titles of this generation. Its old-school graphical look and amazing soundtrack mesh with its clever gameplay concepts to create something truly unique. While boss battles can create a bit of a grind and the occasional glitch is fairly noticeable, I truly enjoyed my time with Rogue Legacy. Its fluid mix of combat, platforming, and smart humor made me enjoy each of my 100+ run throughs just as much as any other. After spending nearly 20 hours with the game I can honestly say I’d love to jump right back in, if only to conquer the castle just once more.

The Bug Butcher

The Bug Butcher takes an old, proven formula and brings it into the modern era. Many games have taken the Galaga style and slapped a fresh coat of paint on it, but The Bug Butcher does more than that. The game takes the formula we all know so well and adds a great look, some fun power-ups, and interesting enemies that keep the game fresh for its short duration. While The Bug Butcher won’t be amazing gamers with its unique premise anytime soon, it’s a game that is well worth playing for a handful of hours.

The Flame in the Flood

For once in a survival game I didn’t care about where I was going or what my ultimate goal was, I just wanted to live. I took risks, I acted brashly, and at times I felt like I was doing the wrong thing. Ok, that was actually 80% of the time but that’s ok. The Flame in the Flood is a fun experience that is bogged down by a clunky and frustrating interface. In a game that lives in the moment, having to pause and deal with that interface is a real bummer. Overall, I’d recommend The Flame in the Flood for those looking for a new type of survival game, and those patient enough to deal with the interface.